First of all, we're trading potential McDavid + Petry + Musil for a guy who's career stats have trended downward with a terrible cap hit. No.

Then, Buffalo would not do Myers for Yak, but even then, we're taking on a project D with a huge cap hit. Yikes.

Marc Staal is a non move option for New York right now, with Girardi on the outs. Also, Staal likely will go to Carolina in 2015, so not smart to trade any assets for him really.

Columbus isn't trading their leader for Gagner. Come on.

Vanek's not coming here, he's signed with us before but that was when we actually had playoff aspirations and KLowe and Katz are saying to be "patient" so that won't attract him. Plus, the cost is too much cap wise.

We shouldn't go after Ward, who's closer to the end of his career than most goalies. Scrivens is a nice starting point.

Here's my 5 moves:

1) Re-sign Scrivens (if he'll go for a deal less than $3M to start) and add a younger backup goalie (someone better than Broissoit) who can develop into a #1 guy; at the draft, as an international signing or if needed, in FA.

2) Trade Eberle (not Yak, which would be selling low) the rights to Simpson and a future 2nd rounder to St. Louis for either Shattenkirk or Pieterangelo, which ever one they'd be willing to give up. Throw in other picks and prospects if needed, but the Oilers should try to hold on to Marincin, Klefbom and Nurse.

3) Try to make a package deal for both Callahan and Girardi, involving our first round pick and other prospects - contingent on re-signing them. One of our defense prospects may need to be included for this to fly. I doubt they'd take any of the players listed in dump trades below.

4) Dump Gagner, Nick Schultz, Bryzgalov, Hemsky, Smyth, Belov and other UFAs, etc. for the best draft picks you can get for those guys. If you can pry out a young 2-way center or promising defenseman as part of those deals, do it, but I'm not keeping my fingers crossed. May need to do this before #3 in order to clear cap space.

5) Sign two big 2-way wingers (Kulemin and Setoguchi would work) in FA to join with Gordon to make a solid shutdown 3rd line.